


christmas eve

by aerynlallaboso



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, a very very small hint, maybe a hint of shizune/tsunade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 16:06:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2156778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerynlallaboso/pseuds/aerynlallaboso
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snow is falling on the Leaf.</p>
            </blockquote>





	christmas eve

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted 16/8/14 @ tumblr for the naruto summer xmas meme

Snow is falling on the Leaf Village, covering every building with a coat of white-turned-grey under the dark skies of late evening. Glittering lights are still on in some of the buildings; silhouettes still flickering at the windows, but almost everyone has turned in for the night. It’s Christmas Eve, after all: tomorrow will be an early rise.

All this, Shizune can see through the wide window in the Hokage’s office as she peers in, but her attention is focused mainly on the dark shadow slumped at the desk in front of the window.

"Lady Tsunade?"

The shadow stretches and yawns. “What is it, Shizune?”

Shizune takes this as her cue to turn on the lights, brightening the office and making the dark scene outside seem even darker by comparison. “You’re working late?” she asks. “On christmas eve?”

"Why not," Tsunade says. She raises a hand to shield her eyes from the sudden illumination, and Shizune spots the bottle of sake by her papers. "It’s not like i have anywhere to be."

Oh, my lady, Shizune wants to say. She’s not sure Lady Ssunade would appreciate it in this state, however. The only reply she’d get would be-

"Don’t you ‘my lady’ me," Tsunade grumbles, shaking a finger at her. "I know what you’re thinking. You’re always looking over my shoulder to make sure I’m working."

Some of the lights in the building opposite them go out. Another family heading to a restless, excitable sleep.

Tsunade sighs. Her cheeks are flushed a faint pink, the only real sign of her intoxication - she can hold her liquor well after so many nights spent drinking. “I miss the first Hokage,” she says tiredly. “I miss - I miss Nawaki.”

Shizune nods, moving closer to the desk so she can catch her if she falls asleep in the middle of a sentence.

"My grandfather used to throw big parties on Christmas," Tsunade continues. "He would’ve invited the whole village if my great-uncle hadn’t stopped him. Him and i would always play together after we ate. For real money, of course."

"Real money?" Shizune asks, quietly intrigued.

"Mmhmm. And other things. One year he won all my christmas presents off me." She pauses to rub her eyes and laughs. "My luck hasn’t changed in fifty years." A deep, rattling sigh. "I remember… betting Nawaki that he couldn’t knock the star off the tree with a shuriken before I did. He won. And he was six."

Her words are running into one another now; her face is edging closer and closer to the ink-stained paperwork she might’ve been working on before she started drinking. “I miss them,” Tsunade says again sadly.

Shizune tries to smile. “I know, my lady. but-” she hesitates before blundering in and saying, “You’ll always have me, right? A-and the rest of the Leaf Village.”

"Of course," Tsunade mumbles.

She can’t see it completely, with Tsunade’s cheek pressed firmly against the desk, but Shizune fancies there’s a genuine smile on the Hokage’s lips before she falls asleep.


End file.
